Money and payments in Tokyo

Cash still matters, less than it did

Tokyo has gone from cash-only to card-friendly fast. Hotels, department stores, chain restaurants, konbini, taxis and most shops take Visa, Mastercard, Amex and JCB, and contactless tap is now standard at the register. Where you still need notes and coins: small family restaurants and ramen counters, temple and shrine admission, street festivals, some markets, old-school bars and the occasional coin locker. Carrying ¥10,000 to ¥20,000 per person covers most days, and you will spend it slowly.

New banknotes came out in July 2024. A few older vending machines and ticket machines still reject them, so keep some ¥1,000 notes of either design and a handful of ¥100 coins.

Getting yen

Skip the exchange counter. The cheapest yen comes out of an ATM with a travel card such as Wise or Revolut, or with a debit card whose bank does not add a foreign fee. Seven Bank ATMs in every 7-Eleven work 24 hours in English and take Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Cirrus, Plus and UnionPay; Japan Post ATMs in post offices do the same during opening hours; Lawson Bank, Aeon and the E-net machines in FamilyMart are also safe bets. Bank ATMs (Mizuho, MUFG, SMBC) often reject foreign cards. Expect a fee of around ¥110 to ¥220 per withdrawal from the ATM plus whatever your bank charges, so take larger amounts less often. The per-transaction cap is usually ¥100,000, lower for some cards.

Decline dynamic currency conversion if the ATM or terminal offers to charge in your home currency. Always choose yen.

Cards, IC and QR

For anything under ¥2,000 the fastest way to pay is your Suica or Pasmo: tap at konbini, vending machines, cafés and chain restaurants. Credit cards go in the little tray at the register, not into the cashier’s hand, and you will rarely need a PIN or signature for small amounts. Debit cards from foreign banks sometimes fail online or at ticket machines, so carry a real credit card as backup.

QR payment is everywhere in Japan, but PayPay and the other local apps need a Japanese phone number and bank account. Alipay+ and WeChat Pay work at many registers if you already use them. For everyone else, IC card plus credit card covers the city.

Nobody tips

There is no tipping in Japan. Not in restaurants, taxis, hotels or hair salons. Leaving coins on the table will get a staff member chasing you down the street to return them. Some upscale restaurants and ryokan add a 10 to 15 percent service charge to the bill, which is the tip. If you want to thank someone, a small gift from home means more than money.

Tax-free shopping

Visitors on a short-term stay can shop free of the 10 percent consumption tax (8 percent on food) at stores displaying the Tax-Free logo, with a ¥5,000 minimum per store per day. Show your passport, or the Visit Japan Web QR code, at the register or the store’s tax-free counter. Consumables such as food and cosmetics are sealed in a bag you must not open before leaving Japan.

The system changes on 1 November 2026. From then on you pay the tax at the shop and claim it back at the airport before departure, with the sealed-bag rule and most of the paperwork dropped. If your trip straddles the changeover, ask the store which rule applies to your receipt. Either way, keep every tax-free receipt with your passport and allow extra time at the airport.